The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-07-19
KILLING INDIAN TIGERS.
Prince Esterhaxy's Dangerous Adventures
In Eastern Jungles.


I'm Eastern Jungles.
"Tiger hunting in India is best car
ried on by batting with cattle. so took
a drove of forty head with me-" said
Prince Louis Esterhazy, of Austria.
"a band of some thirty of the natives
were started three weeks in advance to
seek out the best hunting grounds and
whenever good spot was found one
of the shikaraes dropped out with q
certain number of cattle TO await my
coming. In this way was enabled to
hunt in the widest sections.
1.-The cattle were tied one by one to
trees in the jungle in the margin of a
circle sometimes as much as five miles
across. They were placed there ut
night The tigers came forth ut night
to seek their prey, and, finding the
cattle, leaped upon, killed, and de-
voured as Huch rs they cared to and
went their way.
much of this country is low and
wet, and the tigers could easily be
tracked in the soft soil. especially by
the expert native Indians. Following
the tracks each successive morning
after batting We would come upon and
shoot them. In this way in eleven
months, with but single gun. my
self killed nineteen tigers. This is the
best record made in India in eighteen
years. i had a very big rifle, what is
known rs an eight-ball gun, carrying
twelve drachms of powder. With this
an expert is able to bring down even
the largest tiger easily. and sometimes
by single shot But the sportsman
must he as quick as lightning. for no
sooner does one of these wild tigers
see you, even though he may be sur
feited with food, than he will leap for
you with all the quickness imaginable.
and if you do not make sure work of
it YOU are gone.
THE first two or three times, when
undergoing these experiences. it made
me somewhat nervous, for fear .Tould
not make a center shot, but in time l
got more confidence. / speak now
of hunting tigers on foot, as
was doing. This is the most danger
Gus way, but it is more fascinating. l
several times went off into the Jungle
entirely alone, and hunting in this way
had a number of very narrow escapes.
On one occasion / was tracking a
tiger and was raising my gun to shoot,
having come upon it suddenly, when /
was startled by the deep growl and
rapid tread of another coming upon
me. 1 was so hard pressed that, after
shooting one / had to flee for my life,
and only just escaped by climbing
tree. In the eleven months / many
times slept out alone in a dismal jungle,
with only my blanket to keep off the
rain. suppose 1 underwent many
such an experience, so far as exposure
is concerned. as your American trapper
and miner did in earlier and more
dangerous days.
Another way to hunt tigers is to do
so shooting from elephants or camels.
When this is done a smaller rifle is gen.
orally used. l hunted principally as
much as two or three hundred miles
away from the farthest outpost j had
a regular caravan of elephants, shika-
raes, tents and various equipage, but
wandering away by myself l was forced
to camp and rough it and endure hard
ships which / hardly anticipated. This
was the case when, for quite a long
period, all my servants got sick with
fever.
81 shot more and bigger tigers dur
ing the rainy months. In ten days in
July 1 shot five tigers and panther.
A tiger always comes from hill and
goes back to a hill. He will not stay
long on low ground. usually three
or four at least of hunting party are
killed before the season is over. You
will understand, therefore, what good
fortune we had in escaping loss of life"
San Francisco Examiner.